Road guard



2 April 1 c. A. YOUNG ET AL 1,855,506

ROAD GUARD Filed Jan. 27, 1930 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 LN Darren star-es CAMPBELL A..YOUI\TG AND .SAMVUEL D. zooK, or onxoneo, ILLINoIs, nssiivonsjro AMERICAN wran FENCE COMPANY, or cnroneo, ILLINOIS, A conronnrron on ILLINOIS Application filed January 27, 1930. Serial No. 423,733. I

. This invention relates to road guardsof the shock-absorbing type wherein a wire net fence is mounted alongside of a highway to prevent vehicles from leaving the road.

The principal objection to road guards of the net type heretofore in use has been that the hubs of vehicles contacting therewith frequently were caught in the interstices of the net with the result that the not was torn and the vehicle often damaged.

The main objects of this invention areto provide a road fenceof the net type having an improved form of shield on the road side thereof for shielding that zone of the fence which is positioned at the average level of vehicle hubs; to provide improved adjustable means for securing the shield to the fence;

and to provide a shield of this kind which will not appreciably affect the flexibility or extensibility of the Wire net.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an improved road guard; the post sockets being shown in section.

Fig. Qis an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the guard.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on the line 33"of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4= of Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a part of the fastening means for securing the shield to the netting.

Fig. 6 is a shield.

In the form shown, the invention is applied to a road guard comprisinga wire net 1, mounted on a plurality of uprightposts 2, which are supported in sockets 3 alongside the highway. j

The net 1 is secured to the posts by staples 4 or other suitable fasteners and its lower fragmentary perspective of the edge may be spaced about ten inches from preferably sheet metal strips arranged end"-' .to-end in overlapping relation. These strips ROAD GUARD are'of'suflicient width to shield that zone of the net which is located at the average level of automobile wheel hubs, so that, in the eventa vehicle leaves the road and comes in contact with the guard, thehubs will not" injure the net.

Formed in the strips 5, arelongitudiiially] extending slots 6 for receiving bolts? which a d. extend through the net and=which-are -anchored to vertically disposed cleats 82011 the other side of the net. The ends of the strips are s'ecured to the posts 2 by staples 9, which extend through certain of the slots. f 3

In order to prevent the vehiclehubs :from ripping an end ofone strip-loose from the opposed end of an adjacent strip, thestrips are mounted so as to overlap in the direction of traffic. "F or instance, as viewed in Fig.1, id the vehicles travel from right to left and the road guard is located at the right'of the highway. Each strip overlaps the adjacent strip beyond it so that, instead of contacting with an extremity of a strip, the hub is per- 78' mitted to slide from one strip to another.

The slots 6 permit an extensibility of the shield so as not to interfere with the effectiveness of the net as a shock absorber.

Although but e specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following "8'5 claims: V V We claim:

- 1; In a road guard, a, plurality of rigid vertical supports adjacent-the. road, a wire net secured to said supports, a reinforcing f means secured to the roadside of said net at the average level ofautomobile wheel hubs, said reinforcing means comprising a plurality of metal strips. slidably linked together so as to be extensible longitudinally under impact, and means yieldably securing said reinforcing means to said net to permit longitudinal 'movement relative thereto to prevent said net from being torn away from: ar

said reinforcing means when extended under impact.

2. A road guard comprising a plurality of supports mounted adjacent the side of a I road, a fiexible wire net stretched between. said supports and secured thereto, a series of stiff reinforcing members yieldably secured at the average level of automobile wheel hubs be.v aid uppor a net t t ffen, a d Dr re t .said' t from e ng torn, sa e nfor ing-members having longitudinal slots at each point of fastening to said supports and net to allow said net to yield, without tearing away from said members, cleats on the 1 opposite side of said net and boltsextending througisaid slots a d net and secured to said cleats to hold saidnet andreinforcing members together, said reinforcing members haying: overlapping ends and being yieldag9 bly secured to said supports by suitable means extending through said slots.

'3 In a road guard comprising a plurality of supports mounted adjacent one side of thehighway, an upright wire net secured to'said" supports, a reinforcing sheet secured to saidsupports and wire net, saidsheet comprising aplurality of metal strips Overlapping one another at their ends, the overlap oping: ends, of said strips having slots eXt-ending longitudinally ,of said strips, and U- Shaped Staples extending through said slots for yieldably' securing said strips together, One leg of each of said staples extending through one strip and the other leg of each of Q9 saidstaples extending through two strips.

Signed at Chicago, this 23rd day of January,l-930,. H

' CAMPBELL A; YOUNG.

SAMUEL D. ZQOK. 

